Off to Atlanta!!!

We are packing our bags and heading off to Atlanta this Thursday. Miss Blake will compete late Saturday night and late Sunday night. Their team is competing for a bid to the World Championships. The bids are difficult to get but I really believe they have a shot. This year, her team is in the Senior Unlimited Co-Ed Division. This means there are more than 13 boys on the team ~ 23 to be exact (13 girls). It is an entirely different dynamic with this many boys on the team, but this is the division that everyone wants to watch. The Cheersport competition in Atlanta is the biggest national competition of the year. I think I heard over 900 teams compete over the weekend.

They competed in Atlanta last year and did earn their bid at this venue. I loved Atlanta and am excited to go back. Fried green tomatoes ~ here I come!

No phones in the car, please!

I made an effort to see the Oprah show on texting and driving because the little girl who was killed here in Fort Collins was one of our patients at ToothZone. I was in tears the entire program. With a sixteen year old and a husband managing a large company, this hit too close to home. Any phone call, any text, can wait for you to get to your destination. I have asked, begged and pleaded for everyone in our family to not use the phone while driving. Period! Please do so as well. One instance of not paying attention could be the difference of life and death. Please take 40 minutes to watch this program and pass it on.

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Watch-the-Full-Hour-Americas-New-Deadly-Obsession-Video

Ready for Spring!

Evan got a new driver for Christmas and we have been anxious to try it out. Problem is, the weather has been far too wintery for the snow to melt. The sun came out today so we braved the snow and enjoyed hitting a couple of buckets of balls. Spring can't come soon enough.

Welcome Conan!

Well, I couldn't go another day without a kitty in the house. We had gone into the Humane Society a few times, but no kitty ever really stood out. We went into Pet Smart to look at their adoptable kittys and there he was ... a four year old sweet tabby cat, Conan! I brought him home yesterday and Moose was thrilled! He acted like this kitty was just for him! So far, Conan has adjusted to his new home really well. He is so cuddly and loves to be around people. He has beautiful green eyes and big white paws which he uses to knead on whoever's attention he wants including Moose!

Traveling Man

So since the beginning of the year, Clay has been to California, Las Vegas, Wyoming, and Detroit. Holy Cow! You'd think I'd have married a pilot! Good news, though, he will travel for business to Atlanta when Blake and I are there for her National CheerSport competition in February. Pathetic that we need to leave the state to see the man! SHEESH! xo The picture is from last summer, but I needed one to remember what he looks like. ;o)

Miss Blake's skills

I am having a great time putting a montage together of all of Miss Blake's skills for her quest for a college scholarship. Here is a short video of just one of her jump sequences. She has been chosen as point jumper, front and center, in her routine this year. That means she is pretty darn impressive!

Evan's first Elk!

Well, news from Chaffee County is that Evan got his first kill. I just got the copy of the picture on my email without details. I will post more as I have the information. I did crop the photo to rid of some of the gore. xo

. . . He shot her at 175 yards and hit her on the first shot in the liver. He shot three more times to make sure she did not run off. They will return to Salida next weekend to butcher her and bring her home. Big thanks to Uncle Kenny for his guide services and to Aunt Sammy for the hospitality! xo

Christmas day in Salida!

So we wake up to see what's in our stockings, shower, and load up the car to drive to Salida to see my family. Even though it sounds like an inconvenience, I truly love the drive with the kids close and cell phone service lacking. We arrived at my sister Sam's to a house full. As I was introducing Blake's friend, Sam, to all of my family, the reality of it sank in and I had to giggle. My mom was there with her husband, Fred. My dad was there with his wife, Peggy. My sister, Niki's dad, Rod, was there, too. Grandma and Papa Turner were there visiting with us all. I would really like to see a Christmas card next year with Mom, her husband, and her two ex-husbands ~ this is our life. Fortunately, the big D doesn't tear this family apart, it brings us all together for the holidays. xo

The boys woke early the next morning to hunt for Evan's cow elk. No luck on day one, but they stayed behind in Chaffee County and the girls and I returned back to the city. I am hoping the next post is about Evan's big kill. Cross your fingers.

Christmas Eve at our house!

It's become a tradition to have a BUNCO tournament at our house on Christmas Eve. Clay's family comes over and they play to win ~ especially Camie's family! ;o) We play four rounds and at the end pick a winner, a loser, one with the most BUNCOs and a traveling BUNCO. This is a great time. Everyone plays and you get to chat with someone new every round. We also started a "white elephant" Gift Card exchange which is really a lot of fun. It's always a hoot when Granddad ends up with the Victoria's Secret GC or Shanna with Cabela's! We played 'til late in the evening, Santa came, and Evan anxiously woke us all to see what Santa brought for Christmas morning. Who needs sleep? It's Christmas!

Our family was also blessed to have Blake's friend, Samantha join us for the holidays. We all love Sam and enjoy having her as a part of our family.

OUCH!!!

Snow and below freezing temperatures have caused icy road conditions in town. Miss Blake has gotten a good taste of winter driving. Unfortunately, a curb jumped out and smacked right into her wheel on the way home from school. Bummer!

My civic duty.

I just completed my seven day obligation of jury duty today. I served as a jury member for a triple murder/attempted murder trial here in Fort Collins. The case was centered around meth. What a sad, sad, sad world just right around the corner in my home town. We, the jury, agreed upon the verdict of guilty of all counts. I believe 100% in our decision, but my heart is heavy from the weight of the decision.

Pay attention to your kids and their friends, and love them. Then, love them some more, and love them even more after that.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20091208/NEWS01/912080322

Parties, parties, parties. . .

We went to Dr. Kent's Christmas party this weekend and will have Atlas's in two weeks. Kent also puts together a party for all of the employee's children as well as a cocktail hour, after-hours, the night before Christmas Eve.

Count down to Christmas!

Here's a good shot of Evan's annual gingerbread masterpiece. The lights are on the outside of the house, we will pick out our tree this weekend, and the presents are starting to stack up. I love this time of year!

I love my kiddos!

Yes, I do!

Happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours!

We spent the holiday with Clay's family in Fort Collins this year and had a wonderful time. Johnny and Pat were home from California. Camie, Shaun, Grant and Shanna drove up from the Springs. Cindy and Dan drove up from BV, and Dannye and Brady drove all the way across town. Perry was the only one from the immediate family who was not with us this year. Girlfriends will do that. We will "get" him for Christmas though! The meal was fantastic as always. Johnny and Pat did leave for California without taking the left-overs. SCORE!!!

The Blind Side ~ a must see!

We went to see The Blind Side as a family over this holiday weekend. What a great movie!! So much so that I am blogging about it!!! What a great time of year to be reminded of the rewards of generosity, compassion, and most of all, love. Run, don't walk, and go see this movie!

Clay wins a well deserved award!

Clay recently traveled to Ohio for Atlas Industrial's annual corporate meeting. He survived three days of meetings, future projections, and networking. He also came home with the "Manager of the Year" award. Clay is the operations manager of the Western Division and has really turned things around for the better. I am so proud of him. This really is a big honor and he deserved it. I am also proud to say that despite the huge responsibility he has at work, he really has learned to balance work and family. His role as husband and daddy never takes a back seat. He is the BEST at both and we love him so much for that!

Indoor Football League

Evan started playing for the indoor football league immediately after the fall outdoor season. This is 6 man ball and all players are eligible to run and catch the ball. Thus, Evan DID score his first touchdown this season. ROCK ON! The picture is from my phone and is certainly not a good one, but check out #5. That's my guy ~ a good head taller than everyone on both teams. Oh, I am proud of my gentle giant!!!!

Hunting Season Part One

Clay and Evan went hunting for a bull elk with Kenny, JD, Fred, JT, and Jessica over Halloween weekend. Clay had the tag but had no luck, hitting anything anyway. Evan enjoyed the "man-time" and is sworn to secrecy because I do not WANT to know what happens at hunting camp. They will head off again to try to fill Evan's cow tag in late November through January. The pictures are of the r&r at hunting camp plus my favorite one of the moon in God's country. I am proud to report, after the last father-son outing, that there were no injuries on this trip. Whew!

Avalanche Game

It doesn't get much better than watching the Avalanche play while sitting in a luxury box being catered to with an abundance of beer, wine, food, and fun. All fantastic, but then the Avs lost. Oh well, we had a great time. Miss Blake opted out to go home to do homework. What a silly, responsible little girl! We can sure get used to this treatment. . . . then back to reality.